The Rockaway Park subway platform is in dire straits, leaving commuters scrambling as nearly half of its surface is off-limits due to structural issues. The once-thriving station now forces passengers to navigate a precarious situation, where they're forced to disembark from trains that have stopped at the platform.
In fact, when full-length 10-car trains arrive, transit workers are required to assist riders in detaching from the rear five cars and escorting them to the front five cars. This makeshift maneuver is aimed at allowing passengers to exit safely, but the solution only temporarily alleviates the problem.
According to an internal MTA memo, obtained by Gothamist, this disrepair has plagued the station since October, with transit workers dealing with daily headaches due to its inadequacies. Notably, nearly all commuters relying on wheelchairs will face significant difficulties navigating this platform.
MTA officials claim that there's no safety risk posed by the platform's current state, although they've yet to set a concrete timeline for repairs. Head of subways at NYC Transit Bill Amarosa Jr., acknowledged the issue stating "due to displacement of concrete...some riders need to walk forward to exit from the front of those arriving trains".
In fact, when full-length 10-car trains arrive, transit workers are required to assist riders in detaching from the rear five cars and escorting them to the front five cars. This makeshift maneuver is aimed at allowing passengers to exit safely, but the solution only temporarily alleviates the problem.
According to an internal MTA memo, obtained by Gothamist, this disrepair has plagued the station since October, with transit workers dealing with daily headaches due to its inadequacies. Notably, nearly all commuters relying on wheelchairs will face significant difficulties navigating this platform.
MTA officials claim that there's no safety risk posed by the platform's current state, although they've yet to set a concrete timeline for repairs. Head of subways at NYC Transit Bill Amarosa Jr., acknowledged the issue stating "due to displacement of concrete...some riders need to walk forward to exit from the front of those arriving trains".